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Ulysse Nardin Freak InnoVision 2 | SIHH 2017

Marina Milojević | 01.16.17 | 06:50 PM

For the first time ever, Ulysse Nardin will be participating at the SIHH, from January 16 to 20, 2017. For this special occasion, the famous Swiss Maison will be showing its latest innovations, and, among them, the second Freak to bear the InnoVision name. The legendary Freak, which was introduced back 2001, remains one of the most revolutionary models in the history of watchmaking. Its design was influenced by the use of a material that, up to then, had only been known for its use in electronic – silicium. The Freak, with its Dual Direct escapement, no crown, no hands and no dial, was the first to innovate with silicium escapement components, thus making anchors and escapement wheels as unnecessary as rubies for friction reduction or oil for lubrication.

Ulysse Nardin Freak InnoVision 2

The research into improved reliability and accuracy through the use of innovative materials has continued until today. 2005 saw the launch of the “Freak Diamond heart” and with it the first components made from the hardest material currently known to man, while the more affordable “DIAMonSIL” was introduced in 2007. In the same year, Ulysse Nardin introduced the original InnoVision, a watch made using a completely new range of materials and production technologies. All major components of this watch, including its double escape wheel, escape wheel bridge, bearings, monoblock shock protection system, and balance spring, were made from silicone.

Ulysse Nardin Freak InnoVision 2

With the Freak InnoVision 2, Ulysse Nardin goes one step further. Same as its predecessor, the InnoVision 1, it makes extensive use of silicone, but in avant-garde, futuristic designs. In all, just like the original InnoVision, this exceptional watch boasts no less than ten innovations!

1. Dual Constant Escapement, which performs two fundamental tasks in a mechanical watch using two silicon escape wheels. Firstly, it inhibits unrestricted unloading of the spring mechanism. Secondly, the escapement transfers steady pulses to the oscillation system to maintain the oscillations from the balance wheel and the balance spring.

Ulysse Nardin Dual Constant Escapement

2. Direct Silicium Bonding – silicone components are typically made from a single piece of material, but Ulysse Nardin has found a way to fuse two micro components into a single one. The sealed bond is created by compressing surfaces at temperatures of 1000 to 1200 °C, and adding oxygen.

3. Silicium balance wheel, gold mass elements, stabilizing micro paddles – this innovation includes a silicon balance wheel with four solid gold elements attached to it. The result is a balance wheel that can be fine-adjusted like a traditional one, while its entire mass becomes much lower than that of conventional constructions.

Ulysse Nardin InnoVision 2 Silicium balance wheel, gold mass elements, stabilizing micro paddles

4. Grinder, a self-winding mechanism – for the first time ever, the Freak is powered by an automatic winding system. However, the Grinder does not operate the same way as the conventional self-winding system. Its energy conversion system uses the flexibility of the material (silicone) and kinetic potential of the system itself to release energy, and wind the watch through the movement of the wearer’s wrist.

5. Sapphire-coated silicium bridge – the Maison has developed a patented method for coating silicium with a thin film of sapphire. The new component has harder surfaces, a higher mechanical stability than that of conventional design.

6. 24-Karat hard gold wheels – cut using laser lithography were used instead of traditional brass wheels. The use of hardened gold offers better and more efficient transfer of force.

7. Glass bridge with integrated shock protection for the balance wheel – the InnoVision 2 incorporates some glass elements, including the glass balance cock, which holds the balance wheel

Ulysse Nardin InnoVision 2 Glass bridge with integrated shock protection for the balance wheel

8. Super-LumiNova filled channels integrated into the glass balance wheel bridge – the glass balance cock features narrow channels filled with SuperLumiNova reveal impressive light effects in the dark.

Ulysse Nardin InnoVision 2 Super-LumiNova filled channels integrated into the glass balance wheel bridge

9. Eye-catching 1 – 11 and 13 – 23 time display – while a classic time display rotates once around the center every 12 hours, the InnoVision 2 reveals an innovative time display that represents hours 1 to 11 first, and then hours 13 to 23 digitally.

10. Three-dimensional glass minute hands – the final innovation, a three-dimensional glass minute hand manufactured using precision laser cutting. The oversized glass hand looks almost like an orbital space station.

Ulysse Nardin Freak InnoVision 2

 

Ulysse Nardin Freak InnoVision 2 is an amazing concept watch featuring avant-garde innovations. In order for you to understand every tiny little detail about this concept, please visit ulysse-nardin.com.

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